


Joy to the World

by kiss_me_cassie



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 12:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5496833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiss_me_cassie/pseuds/kiss_me_cassie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So here they were, on a mission of sorts, but unlike anything they'd ever done. There was no bloodshed, no seduction, no gunfire. Nothing but the pair of them surrounded by excited, smiling children and their grateful parents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Joy to the World

When Cap said he had an assignment for them the week before Christmas, one that Banner had specifically asked to be given to the spies, neither Clint nor Natasha had questioned it. If it was important to Bruce, it was important to them. Besides, neither one of them was big on celebrating Christmas.

They hadn't quite expected the mission to be what it was, however. That is, if you could even call it a mission, in the traditional sense of the word. This was more of a goodwill visit. 

Since Bruce himself was reluctant to travel now that the Other Guy was so prominent in the news, he had asked the pair of them to visit the small village in India where he'd been prior to joining the Avengers. The kids, he'd explained, didn't have much, and while he'd been there he'd used whatever extra resources he had to provide them with little surprises whenever possible. Now, even though the majority of the village didn't celebrate Christmas, he still wanted to show them that he hadn't forgotten them. 

So here they were, on a mission of sorts, but unlike anything they'd ever done. There was no bloodshed, no seduction, no gunfire. Nothing but the pair of them surrounded by excited, smiling children and their grateful parents.

Clint watched as Nat handed out small fruitcakes and chocolate to the kids gathered around her, marveling at how at ease she looked with them, how calm and engaged she was. Not in an artificial way, but in a relaxed way, one that made each kid know that she was truly interested in their chatter. This was a side of her hardly anyone else ever got to see, but that she dared to share with him. 

He wondered if Bruce had had an inkling and that's why he'd ask them to come here instead of Tony. Not that he could see Tony being Bruce's ambassador of goodwill, anyway. Tony was all flash, hiding his feelings and any substance deep beneath his armor. He definitely had them -- in droves -- but he rarely let them out, not when he could be _Tony Stark - Billionaire, Philanthropist, Playboy_ instead.

And Natasha did it too, hiding all her true feelings behind her Black Widow persona. But there were times like these, when she was talking and laughing with the children, that she let her true personality shine.

Times like this, and when they managed to get away where there were no other prying eyes, when it was just the two of them alone together. Times when she showed her vulnerabilities and fears to him, when she allowed herself to feel joy and happiness. 

Which, he was honest enough to admit, also included a lot of time with them in bed, naked and tangled together. But that was just a bonus.

His eyes tracked her again, and he smiled. Damn, but the woman could make even a babushka look sexy. Ok, so it wasn't actually a babushka, it was just a plain and simple headscarf to hide her brilliant hair and shield her from the bright sun, but it was hard not to think in Eastern European and Russian terms when it came to Natasha. His fingers itched to ease the scarf off, to tangle in her hair while he kissed her long and hard. 

He allowed himself to get lost in the fantasy, just long enough for Natasha to finish handing out the goodies and wish all the families a good evening. 

"Ready to go, Barton?" she asked with a smirk. "Bruce mentioned one of the families has a shed that we can stay in for the night."

He lowered his sunglass and smirked back at her. "As appealing as that sounds, no."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"There are perks to being a bonafide Avenger now instead of a SHIELD agent. Tony's jet has a bed and is currently waiting for us about a mile out from the village. Let's opt for the bed," he suggested, looping an arm around her shoulder and steering her towards the edge of the village.

They were just past the outskirts of the village when Natasha suprised him by pushing him up against the nearest tree and pressing her lips against his. He tugged her scarf down, like he'd wanted to do before, then ran his fingers through the short curls, before tugging at the tresses, just a little. "Hey, not that I'm objecting or anything, but what was that for?"

"A girl can't wish her guy a Merry Christmas?" she asked, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

He grinned back at her. "Oh, absolutely. But you don't want to wait until we get to the jet?"

She shrugged, still smiling, and backed away from him, heading deeper into the forest. "Sure," she tossed over her shoulder. "But I wanted to give you a preview of your gift. Daylight's wasting, Barton. And I most definitely do want to take advantage of that bed. So get a move on."

He laughed with her and pushed off from the tree, following close on her heals. Merry Christmas, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> I went out for lunch with my scarf around my head to protect it from the rain (Rain? In December? In NH?! Yeah. So wrong.) and my coworkers and I were joking that I looked like I needed to be cooking golumpki in the old country. That plus schmoopy Christmas feelings led to this. I feel like I need to apologize for all the schmoopiness. Sorry! :S


End file.
